W9P1: Impacts of Interdisciplinary Curriculum

https://search.proquest.com/openview/d4dadbab54198740e20fd2bf013ed5d4/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y p.14

In the long run, America’s true competitive edge is not its technical prowess but its creativity, its imagination, its inventiveness, its people’s capacity to devise new solutions, to innovate, to invest new organizational as well as technological forms, and to eke productivity gains out of what others see as static situations. (Finn & Ravitch, p. 7, 2007)

 In what Gardner identified as “profile of intelligences,” individuals apply one or several combinations of intelligences to complete tasks, conceptualize or problem solve, and explore understanding across domains (Gardner, 2011). Concepts embedded in arts integration and creativity are referenced as a method for students to explore deeper understanding by accessing various intelligences (Russel-Bowie, 2009)

 Regarding education, Sternberg (1999; 2003) argues equilibrium must exist between students’ “analytical,” “creative,” and “practical abilities.”

Wooten (2008) believes that involvement with or implementation of the arts can provide joy, excitement, and happiness in learning. Development of a love for learning can have a profound effect on a student’s education (2008)

In 2008, the Dana Arts and Cognition Consortium reported findings from neuroscientific research inquiring into the “possible causal relationships between arts training and the ability of the brain to learn in other cognitive domains” (Gazziniga, 2008, p. v). The Consortium published empirical data, based on research conducted by several U.S. universities, that links arts to motivational factors, cognitive manipulation, computational abilities, sequential learning, memory, and personal attitudes (Asbury & Rich, 2008).

 Several consistencies were established between arts and learning including increased pupil self-efficacy and attitudes. Betts (2006) concluded that arts led to student confidence increasing the likelihood of those students to take educational risks.

Characteristics such as self-motivation are especially important when looking at the concerns of modern economist relating to global competition (Friedman & Mandelbaum, 2011). As Friedman and Mandelbaum (2011) conclude, lifelong learning is paramount when technologies are constantly updating. Tomorrow’s workers must eagerly crave knowledge in an effort to not be outmoded (2013). Research on the effect of crosscurriculum strategies and arts on student learning can better prepare a classroom of lifelong learners by increasing their organizational management, technological use, and ability to make the globalized connections needed to better understand a rapidly approaching modern age (Meagher, 2006).

Specifically, natural curiosities prevail with arts. As a result of curiosity, interest is more likely to develop and concludes with higher student motivation. An increase in motivation will improve student attention and eventual cognition of tasks.

Interestingly, when the researchers simulated focused attention produced by the arts, the portion of the brain associated with conflict resolution became increasingly active (Posner et al.). Interpersonal skills and communicating with others is often a desired byproduct of working with the arts and has been identified as a twenty-first century skill for student success (Wilson & Conyers, 2013).

a significant correlation between spatial understanding and geometric reasoning in students with music training was exhibited. The author clarifies, “our experiments provide evidence for an association between music and geometry only when training in music is intensive and prolonged” (p. 47). Furthermore, the study suggests that various art forms may have specific influences over different mathematical computations. For example, students with a strong visual arts background outperformed musicians on the geometry portions but underperformed on problems requiring more precise calculations (Spelke).

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